Shifting Sand
by SophieAnnWard
Summary: After the defeat of the Emperor and his Father's death. Luke Skywalker wonders if he had made all the right choices. He then gets a second chance to save his Father and change the future. Luke goes back into the past - similar to my other completed story "Into The Past".
1. The Wrong Place at the Right Time

**Shifting Sand**

 **Chapter I – The Wrong Place at the Right Time**

" _Just for once, let me look on you with my own eyes." Luke hesitantly lifted the helmet off of his Father's head and placed it on the floor. Beneath the infamous black armour and the scarred visage was...just a man. A man with the same startlingly blue eyes as his own. Not a monster, nor a hero who brought balance to the force, but just a man. His Father. Anakin Skywalker._

 _A sudden rush of emotion overtook Luke; a lump formed in his throat as he grabbed the dying man before him._

" _You're coming with me. I can't leave you here – I've got to save you!" The tears fell freely down his face now, betraying his emotions for the world to see._

" _You already have, Luke. You were right about me." Anakin paused. He painfully smiled and seemed to sag further down the wall. "Tell your sister...you were right."_

" _I promise I won't leave you Father, I won't let you die."_

* * *

Those were the last words that Anakin Skywalker heard before he passed into the Force. Those were the last words that haunted Luke in his every waking hour, and then plagued his sleep with uneasy dreams. He found himself constantly wondering if he had made the right choices – from the moment he had learnt that Darth Vader was his Father, right up until the moment he had passed from the world – had Luke done the best that he could?

Despite the celebrations that had been raging on for the past three days around him, the young Skywalker had felt no inclination to join in. It felt wrong to celebrate the defeat of the Emperor when he was still in mourning for his Father. Leia, Han and Chewbacca had each tried in vain to lighten Luke's heavy mood, but to no avail.

At first Luke had been confused – upset even - at Leia's apparent apathy at their Father's death – but she didn't understand him like he had; she didn't share that connection with him through the Force.

 _I had that connection, yet I was too weak...too slow. I wish I could go back in time._ He released all his pent up anger and sorrow into the Force, letting it swell and pulse around him for a second, before collapsing back on his bed, tears sliding down the side of his face.

* * *

Anakin Skywalker never liked meditation; he thought it was a waste of time, and he couldn't commit to the act unlike his Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, who could meditate for hours at a time. This was one of those times were Anakin was desperately trying to find any excuse to get out of the exercise.

"Wait." Obi-Wan brought up a hand, instantly quieting his Padawan. Anakin watched his mentor carefully; the man only ever used that tone of voice when something had happened, or he had noticed something via the Force.

"Master?"

"Can you feel that?" Obi-Wan asked, a frown appearing on his face. He slowly stood up, brushing stray dirt from his Jedi robes. Anakin was unsure of what Obi-Wan was referring to; as far as he could tell, there was nothing amiss in the Jedi Gardens. The leaves rustled in a slight breeze, momentarily capturing the young Skywalker's attention.

"I do not feel anything..." Anakin stopped mid-sentence, goosebumps rising on his arms as he turned sharply to where the Force was guiding him. He followed his instincts, ignoring Obi-Wan's questioning look as he made his way deeper into the garden.

Just for a moment, the the ever present hum of Coruscant traffic was dulled as Anakin laid eyes on a young man, peacefully asleep on the ground under one of the trees.

 _No – not sleeping. Something's wrong._ By this time, Kenobi had caught up to his apprentice and was appraising the situation carefully. Dropping down to one knee, Obi-Wan gently placed a hand on the young man's forehead.

"He's unconscious, though any other injuries he may have...I am not sure of. We'll have to get him to the medical bay immediately." Carefully, Obi-Wan lifted the man into his arms, noting with surprise that he was lighter than he expected. Anakin remained in an uncharacteristic silence as he followed his friend through the Jedi Temple, his eyes seemingly glued on the unmoving figure of the mystery man.

A part of him felt a deep connection to the boy, as if he had known him all of his life. He felt foolish for feeling that way, knowing that rationally they've never met before. Suddenly, an odd premonition overcame Anakin – he just _knew_ that whoever this man was, everyone's lives were about to be changed. Stopping short of the medical bay, Anakin paused and watched as Obi-Wan placed the vulnerable young man in a bed, doctors swarming to his side.

* * *

 _Vader stood proudly, arms akimbo as he stood with his back facing Luke. Ice ran through Luke's veins as he approached his Father, hand outstretched to touch him. Turning around, Vader towered over Luke threateningly, and for a heart-stopping moment Luke thought he was about to be struck down as Vader lifted his arms – yet all the older man did was remove his helmet. Suddenly, he wasn't scary anymore. Instead Anakin the Jedi stared kindly down at his son, blue eyes twinkling in happiness._

Luke's eyes fluttered open and he immediately sensed that he was not on Endor anymore. He closed his eyes and reached out for the Force, calming himself down.

"You're awake...you're safe, its alright. You're on Coruscant in the Jedi Temple, in the medical bay. I'm Doctor Vekarr." Luke blinked stupidly and pushed the man's hovering hands away from his person. Sitting up, he warily examined his surroundings, not really processing what the Doctor had said. The medical bay was light and airy, with large glass windows that let in plenty of natural sunlight. The smell of disinfectant was faint here, unlike the Rebel bases where the smell was overpowering.

"Coruscant?" Luke repeated, the words now starting to sink in. The Doctor nodded absent mindedly as he spoke into his com-link. "That can't be right." Luke staggered out of bed against the Doctor's wishes and ungracefully made his way towards one of the windows. Bracing himself against the sill, Luke stared uncomprehendingly at the traffic that moved past him in a solid block. The Force was telling him that he was safe, that he was amongst Jedi and that he could relax...but his heart jumped into his throat and he stumbled backwards, tripping over his own feet.

"Hey! You alright there?" Luke bumped into someone and span around, backing up against the wall.

"Stay back." Luke warned. He automatically reached for his Lightsaber, heart dropping when all he grasped at was empty space.

Obi-Wan noticed this movement and made a mental note of it. He lifted his hands up in a peaceful gesture, making sure that his apprentice gave the confused young man a wide berth. Recognition flickered through the youth's eyes, flitting between Obi-Wan's and Anakin's faces.

"I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi - "

"I know who you are." There was a heavy silence in the medical bay as no one dared to move, unsure of what the teen was going to do next.

 _My Father...and old Ben?_ Luke knew that his eyes weren't playing tricks on him – in front of him stood his Father and his old teacher, Ben Kenobi. But something was severely wrong: Vader was his age, young and without the twisted scars on his face. He aura excluded nothing but a pureness that Luke had never experienced before, and just for a second he basked in it.

It was one of the most foreign yet familiar feelings he had ever felt.

This Obi-Wan looked nothing like the washed up old hermit from Tatooine that he had known; this man was strong and commanded respect from the moment you met him. He had bright strawberry blonde hair that bordered on being ginger (depending on the light), which Luke would never have guessed the man to have. However, despite how scared Luke was feeling, he found comfort in the familiar green eyes of his old mentor, and he allowed himself to believe in that fleeting feeling of safety and promptly passed out.

Anakin's quick reflexes kicked in and he caught Luke before he could hit the ground. For a moment he was taken aback at seeing the younger man's face so close to his. Anakin could really take in his features, and found a disturbing resemblance to himself. Was it the blonde hair that hung round his face, or the sun-kissed skin that reminded him of home? The boys accent was pure outer-rim – something Anakin hadn't heard in a long time which made his heart ache for his Mother. The moment was gone just as quickly as it had come however.

"What on earth is going on?" He heard his mentor mutter. He didn't need to turn around to know that Obi-Wan was stroking his beard in confusion.

"I suppose I should alert the council to this turn of events?" Doctor Vekarr asked hesitantly.

"I have already alerted them; they're expecting this young mean to appear before them when he wakes up." Obi-Wan sighed and rubbed a hand over his face, feeling older than he really was. Why was it that whenever he was around his Padawan, things of a curious nature always occurred?

Luke stirred from the bed again, lazily blinking himself awake. He smiled apologetically at the three men who stood at the end of his bed, wondering how on earth he was going to get out of this mess.

 _It has to be time-travel. The Force must be behind this but why?_

Luke suppressed the hysteria that was rising within him and took charge of the situation. After all, he was Commander Skywalker wasn't he?

"I'm Luke Sky – Starkiller. I was travelling with my mentor...Ben." He paused, trying to gauge their reactions. "We were travelling to the Temple for business that my Master had with someone, but something happened. I think we were attacked, I can't remember anything. I must have managed to get away." Luke could feel a blush making its way up his neck and settling on his cheeks. He hoped they wouldn't catch him out in his lie – he had shielded his mind as soon as he came to, but Obi-Wan and Anakin were far more experienced than him. Who knew if they could sense the truth past his shields?

 _If I can hide from Palpatine, I can hide from these two._

"And where is your Master now?" Anakin asked, suspicious of Luke.

"He's gone into the Force. I felt it." Luke let his sadness ring out with that statement, remembering back to when Obi-Wan had let Vader strike him down. Sharing a side look, Kenobi and the older Skywalker believed Luke, confirming it with how sincere his feelings were in regards to his former mentor.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Obi-Wan genuinely meant it; he too knew what it was like to lose a mentor and a friend.

"What happens now? I can't go home." Luke blurted out, fearing they would make him leave the Temple. He could handle the time-travel thing but only if he was amongst the Jedi. He knew Yoda, Ben and his Father could help him with his problem eventually. What would he do if they rejected him and he was stranded in Coruscant, alone and over 20 years in the past?

"That's up to the council to decide. Are you fit to walk?" Luke nodded numbly, his stomach twisting itself into knots. He shakily stood up, waiting for the pins and needles to leave his legs.

"It's alright, I've got you if you fall." Luke nodded in thanks, captivated by his Father's intense gaze. Luke found it strange to stare into a pair of identical blue eyes that mirrored his own. Anakin must have felt the same way because he broke eye contact first, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

He hovered close to Luke's side as they made their to the Jedi council meeting room, which was a fair bit of walk from the medical bay. Luke took this time to sort out the story that he was going to tell the Council. He was mostly worried about Yoda; that little green alien could see right through Luke back on Dagobah, and he vaguely wondered if it would be the same in this time.

* * *

Luke Skywalker did not allow himself to show how exposed he felt in front of the council. It was silent as they surveyed him, clearly talking along their telepathic link to each other so he couldn't hear. Anakin stood towards the back of the hall next to Obi-Wan, nervous to hear what the council were going to do with Luke. Luke turned back nervously to glance at his Father, who nodded in reassurance and sent him a small smile.

"For a reason the Force sent you here. Decided to let you stay for now, we have." Yoda sent Luke a knowing look as the young man sagged in relief.

"You're certain you have no knowledge as to what your Master wanted and with whom?" Mace Windu asked again, looking down on the young man. Luke shook his head, resisting the urge to look back again at his Father and mentor who were pressed up against the wall.

"Strong in the Force, you are. Yet fully trained you are not. What happened, hmm?" Luke blushed under Yoda's scrutiny.

"I only really started training about a year ago...Jedi Master's are rare on my home planet." Luke had gotten the hang of letting the truth ring out when he spoke of certain things that were not lies. As far as he could tell, the Council accepted everything he said as truth. Yoda reclined in his chair, opting to remain silent as he studied the young man before him.

"Skywalker!" Windu snapped, making both the young men snap to attention. Luke immediately tried to relax himself, lest he draw attention. Obi-Wan and Yoda noticed this small reaction however, even when nobody else did.

"Yes, Master Windu?" Anakin asked, stepping forwards until he stood next to Luke. Luke noted that his Father had always been tall – Anakin easily stood at around 6'1, dwarfing the young Skywalker in comparison.

 _Clearly I got my height from my Mother._ Luke mused to himself.

"Starkiller will be assigned to you to look after. Give him a tour, make sure he settles in etc. _You_ will be held responsible for him." Usually Anakin would feel annoyed at being lumbered with the task of baby sitting someone – especially if they were so close in age to himself (could they not look after themselves?). With Luke however, there was something different; Anakin felt himself wanting to get to know the young man, to speak to him and understand what went on in his head. He wanted to get to know Luke as a person.

"He's in good hands, Master." Anakin smirked as he received a few disapproving murmurs from other council members. Windu's face did not look too impressed either. With a wave of his hand, the two Skywalker's were dismissed from the room.

"What about you?" Luke asked Obi-Wan anxiously.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow in confusion, noticing the boys obvious attachment to him. Anakin noticed it too.

"I have matters I need to discuss with the Council." When it became apparent that that was not a good enough answer for Luke, Kenobi sighed and smiled at him, "I promise I shall come find you in the morning. After all, it seems that you will be spending a lot of time with my Padawan." Luke nodded at him and followed his Father, breathing a sigh of relief once the heavy oak doors had shut behind him.

"I know what you mean, feels like you can't breath in there sometimes." Anakin chuckled, hoping to break the ice with Luke. Luke offered him a small smile, but remained silent. It was so surreal to be walking with his Father in the Jedi Temple, knowing all the pain and horror that would eventually transpire.

Anakin felt awkward, sensing that Luke was deep in thought. He itched to ask him about what planet he was from and to learn more of this mentor he called Ben. Despite Anakin's lack of subtlety and impatience, he was no fool and he knew that it was not the right time to bombard the young man with questions.

 _After all, he has just lost his Master._ Anakin grimaced at the thought. He couldn't even imagine losing Obi-Wan, especially when they were so close. He was like the Father _and_ older brother that Anakin had never had.

"There's a spare room three doors down from mine. You can use it, I thought it would be better if you were close to me since you're new and all. Is there anything else you need?"

"Uh, maybe something to sleep in? I only have the clothes on my back." Luke mumbled embarrassed.

"I should have something that fits you! Might be a little big but we'll see. Come in." Anakin lead the way and let Luke into his room. It was not how Luke would have imagined it; it was extremely messy – there were mechanical parts strewn all over the place and clothes flung haphazardly over chairs and the floor. A far cry from the neat freak that Vader was.

Anakin didn't seem to notice how messy his room was, instead rooting around in his wardrobe to find some of his clothes from when he was younger.

"How old are you anyway?" Anakin asked conversationally.

"19. How old are you?"

"19! I'm nearly 20." Anakin gave Luke a searching look as if he didn't believe him. Luke tried to draw himself up to his full height, which didn't make much difference considering how tall his Father was. "I won't lie, I thought you were 17 or 18 if I'm honest." Luke's face turned red from embarrassment. It was true, he had lost a lot of weight whilst fighting with the Rebels. He hadn't thought it was that bad though – he had been trying to bulk up, and training with Yoda had helped too.

Anakin felt bad as he caught the gist of how Luke was feeling.

"I was so tiny when I was kid," he said casually, handing Luke some folded up clothes, "I'm surprised I grew so tall! I wasn't the healthiest eater." chuckling, Anakin's thoughts flashed back to his time as a slave on Tatooine with his Mother, and how they struggled with food sometimes.

"Thankyou, Anakin. I'm really tired and I have a lot to reflect on. I'll see you in the morning?" Anakin nodded, noticing how run down Luke looked.

"I'll have someone bring you something small to eat, you must be hungry." Anakin's heart went out to Luke, and he resisted the urge to call him back and give him a hug. There was something that Luke wasn't telling him and Obi-Wan. There was tiredness about him that was unbefitting for someone of his age.

"I'll figure you out, Luke Starkiller." Neither Anakin nor Luke got a full nights sleep that night.


	2. Meeting the Senator

_I'm just setting up the story I guess, things will pick up eventually don't worry :) Decided that this story will cover Attack of the Clones, and then I will make a second (final) sequel to this story taking place during The Return of the Jedi ^^_

* * *

 **Chapter II – Meeting the Senator**

Luke woke up feeling worse than he had the night before; he was tired, hungry and despite spending half the night meditating he had received no answer from the Force as to why he had been thrown into the past. He could sense Anakin's Force signature down the hall, burning brightly which indicated he was awake. Luke internally groaned, not ready to face the day just yet.

Locating the Refresher was easy, and Luke was pleasantly surprised to find that it didn't just have a shower but also a bath. Due to the rarity of water on Tatooine, Luke had never had the opportunity to have a proper bath, instead having to settle for a quick shower. Even when he was fighting with the Rebellion, he never had time to have one either. Luke figured that he had time now though.

He watched the bath fill up, reflecting on how long it would have taken to collect this much water back at the Moisture Farm. He allowed himself to sink down into the hot water, sighing in pleasure as he felt his muscles relax. He allowed the Force to soothe his worries and for a moment Luke felt like he was at peace.

 _I have a chance to create a real future for myself here...and a new one for Father. I can't remain a passive viewer as events unfold – if the Force wants to grant me this opportunity then I'll take it!_

Resolve strengthened, Luke daydreamed of a future where there was no Darth Vader, no Rebel Alliance and no Emperor Palpatine. He would be with his Mother and Father and Leia and perhaps he'd even have some younger siblings.

After spending an absurdly long amount of time in the bath, Luke reluctantly got out and dried himself and rifled through the clothes Anakin had given him. They were all slightly too big for him, but not by much. They would do.

Next on Luke's to-do list for that morning was to have a hearty breakfast; time-travel clearly had him feeling ravenous, because he had jogged to Anakin's room and had firmly knocked on his door, eager to eat. Opening the door, Anakin yawned a hello at Luke and stepped out into the hallway.

"How does breakfast sound?" Luke's stomach rumbled as if in reply and Anakin chewed his lip, realising that he had forgotten to have some food brought up for Luke the previous night.

They walked in an amicable silence, both acutely aware that neither of them was talking. Before an awkward air could form between the two, Anakin cleared his throat and decided to make conversation.

"Where are you from? It's been a while since I've heard an outer-rim accent." Luke gave his Father a searching look before he answered.

"Tatooine. I wouldn't be surprised if you haven't even heard of it. It's such a backwards planet." Luke's distaste for his home-world was evident in the tone his voice had taken on. He pretended not to know that his Father too was from that planet. "...but it was home," he continued softly, "with my Aunt and Uncle."

"What happened to them?" the words had left Anakin's mouth before he could stop them. He cringed internally. He _really_ didn't want Luke to dislike him. "I noticed you said 'was', I was just curious–"

"They died." Luke said detachedly. He had come to terms with his relatives deaths years ago, and whilst he missed them dearly (and felt partially to blame), he knew that they had gone onto a better place.

"I'm sorry." Anakin said sincerely. The rest of the journey to the canteen passed in silence, although it was not awkward; Luke felt a deep peace that he had never experienced before – no amount of meditation could ever achieve results like this. Simply being in such close proximity to his Father like this when he was so pure and friendly...Luke couldn't get enough of it. He had the sneaking suspicion that Anakin also felt drawn to him, although he was sure his Father didn't know why.

Anakin couldn't help but shoot Luke furtive glances every couple of seconds. He was in shock; Tatooine! Of all the places that the young man could have been from, it just happened to be the very same planet as his own. He was full of questions and he was surprised at how well he was keeping them to himself.

Breakfast was a short affair; Luke all but inhaled his food, barely noticing what he had even piled onto his plate. Anakin watched on, a look of amusement and disgust present on his face.

"I can see now that you'll be very happy whilst you stay here." Obi-Wan's soothing voice broke Luke from his eating. He sat down next to Anakin, eyebrows raised as he watched Luke finish eating. "How did you sleep?"

"Quite well, thank-you. I feel much better now after having a bath and some food."

"How are you doing in regards to your recent loss?" Obi-Wan's voice took on a more sympathetic tone, his eyebrows furrowing in concern. For a wild moment, Luke's stomach tied itself in knots – what was he talking about? What lie had he made up and then completely forgotten about? Then he realised he was talking about his mentor that he had supposedly just lost.

"I spent half the night meditating before I managed to get any sleep." Luke confessed, letting a little yawn escape him.

"You don't seem that upset over it." Anakin blurted out. Obi-Wan grimaced and sharply nudged his Padawan under the table.

"He was very old, I knew it was going to be his time soon. I feel like he accepted his fate and became one with the Force peacefully." Luke said coolly, a little unimpressed with his Father's lack of social know-how. "I like to keep my grief private."

Anakin had the sense to feel ashamed after that.

"Ah, well I didn't only come over here to chit-chat," Obi-Wan announced, "it seems that the Jedi Council have seen fit to have us watch over Senator Amidala; it appears that someone is after her life." Anakin immediately perked up, and fierce frown on his face.

"Who could be behind it? Why? I can't believe that anyone would want to hurt Padmé." Luke blinked, lost by the conversation. Who was Padmé? He thought back hard but he didn't have any recollection of a Padmé Amidala being mentioned around him by anyone.

"Who's Padmé?" He asked, feeling left out.

"The Senator of Naboo. I am familiar with her – I helped watch over her once before, during the blockade conflict." Obi-Wan explained patiently. Luke nodded, still not really knowing who this mysterious woman was or what blockade conflict his former mentor was speaking of.

"Will Luke be accompanying us?" Anakin asked. Luke chewed on his bottom lip nervously; he really hoped they would be taking him along. He couldn't just sit here in the Temple by himself without his Father – otherwise he'd never be able to save him from the dark-side.

Obi-Wan stroked his beard as he considered the youth sitting before him; the young man looked even smaller in Anakin's old clothes, sitting there and staring at Obi-Wan with the most hopeful expression on his face.

"How well do you handle a Lightsaber?" Kenobi was taken aback by the roguish smile that appeared on Luke's face.

 _It's like looking at a clone of Anakin._ He mused to himself quietly.

"I'd say I could handle myself." Luke replied confidently, his eyes sliding over to rest on his Father.

"Is that a challenge?" Anakin retorted, a playful grin lighting up his face. He decided that he like this new side to Luke he had discovered – he was sure they would become good friends at this rate.

"Boys, boys, " Obi-Wan chuckled in a parental way, "there will be plenty of time to duel each other later. Right now I need to find a spare Lightsaber for Luke, and you two need to get ready."

"For what?" the two Skywalker's asked in unison.

Obi-Wan cocked his head to side and he observed the two young men before him. Two men who were so similar yet had only just met.

"We're going to see the Senator today."

* * *

Anakin fiddled with the sleeves of his Jedi robes nervously. He tried not to show it, but deep down his heart was beating furiously. He hadn't seen Padmé in _years_ , and he was unsure of what to expect. All he could remember was how beautiful and kind she had been. Ever since they had met, she had stayed in the back of his mind, and he wondered if it had been the same for her. Running his fingers through his hair, Anakin made eye contact with Luke.

"You couldn't act more nervous even if you tried." Luke joked, grinning as he noticed the small blush making its way onto Anakin's face.

"I haven't seen her in years!" the older of the two finally exploded, startling his mentor.

"Anakin, I'm sure she remembers who you are." Obi-Wan shook his head perplexed at his students behaviour. Luke was also confused; he could tell that his Father thought very highly of this woman, otherwise he wouldn't have been getting into such a state.

 _She must be important._ Luke surmised to himself. He touched the Lightsaber that hung at his side, wishing dearly that he had his Father's Lightsaber again. He glanced longingly at it as it hung on its owners belt. This spare Lightsaber that Obi-Wan had given him was cold and foreign; he didn't like how it felt in his hand, and the blue blade was a shade darker than his Father's, which irritated him for some reason. It was silly really, it was barely noticeable and yet it was all that Luke could focus on.

He had also been provided with better fitting clothes, a proper pair of Jedi robes that hung fittingly on him. He had admired himself for a while in the mirror before he had joined the other two.

The lift came to a stop and the doors slid opening, revealing a large, brightly lit hallway.

"Obi! Mesa sooo smilen to see'en yousa!" Alarmed, Luke watched warily as a creature he had never seen before approached them rapidly, arms outstretched as if he wanted a hug. Anakin sent Luke a look that seemed to say 'just go with it'.

"It's good to see you too, Jar Jar." Obi-Wan smiled warmly.

"Jar Jar is a Gungan, I'm assuming you've never come across one before judging by your expression." Anakin murmured, amused at Luke's bemused face.

"Annie! Nooo, yousa so biggen! And who's this?" Jar Jar's attention turned to Luke, the only person he didn't recognise.

"I'm Luke Starkiller." Luke dodged the hug by holding out his hand, sending the Gungan an awkward smile by way of apology. Luke wasn't sure who Jar Jar was or why he was here to greet them, but he felt very confused and put off by it all. He followed a few paces back as Jar Jar lead them to the conference room.

In the centre of the room, sitting in a chair was one of the most beautiful women that Luke had ever seen in his life. Her beauty rivalled that of Leia's, and Luke found himself unable to take his eyes off of her. She had long, chestnut coloured hair that fell in soft curls around her heart-shaped faced, with dark eyes that again reminded Luke of Leia strongly. He didn't even hear Obi-Wan and her exchange pleasantries, instead only being pulled out of his thoughts when she began to speak.

"Annie? My goodness, you've certainly grown." Luke made a mental note that he needed to tease Anakin about this new nickname he had learnt. It was silent as Padmé and Anakin stared at each for a moment that seemed to stretch on for a long time. Luke glanced around the room and noticed two other people standing further in, a man and a women. Luke glanced back his Father, already cringing in advance at what was going to come out of his mouth. He could just tell it was going to be embarrassing due to his rakish facial expression.

"So have you...grown more beautiful, I mean...and much shorter...for a Senator I mean." Luke snorted loudly, momentarily stealing the attention. Padmé let out a short bark of laughter and shook her head, amused at how Obi-Wan was staring very hard at his apprentice and how the young man didn't even notice.

"Oh Annie, you'll always be that little boy I knew on Tatooine." Embarrassed, Anakin looked at the ground and wished that his hair was longer so no one could see how red his ears had gotten. Padmé turned her attention to Luke, a curious smile on her face.

"I'm Luke Starkiller, nice to meet you. I'm uh, I'll be accompanying Anakin and Obi-Wan. Sort of...learning on the job kind of thing." He finished lamely. He sounded just as hopeless as his Father, however Luke wasn't trying to be smooth like him; no, he just felt the need to make a good first impression. Her eyes trailed back to rest on Anakin, and they were caught in a stare again, seemingly unaware that they had an audience.

Suddenly, it clicked in Luke's head. The reason why it felt like Leia all over again was because this was his _Mother_. He let the realisation wash over him, goosebumps appearing over his arm. The slightest touch of the Force overwhelmingly confirmed it. He stared at Padmé, savouring the fact that he even knew her name. All his life, it had been about his Father; Anakin this, Jedi that...but he had rarely spared a thought for his Mother, even less so when he had discovered Vader was his Father.

 _I took after Anakin that's for certain, but by the Force did Leia take after her._ He could also see where Leia got her political prowess from; their Mother was a Senator! He tuned back into the conversation, his heart beating considerably faster than it was before. Obi-Wan was frowning as he searched for the right words to say.

"We're here to protect you Senator, not to start an investigation." Padmé opened her mouth to reply, but Anakin had beat her to it.

"We will find out who is trying to kill you Padmé, I promise you." Luke internally rolled his eyes in secret amusement at how un-subtle his Father was. Could he not see the glares that Obi-Wan was throwing his way? Luke had never seen the man so outwardly annoyed before.

"We are not going to exceed our mandate, my young Padawan _learner_." Obi-Wan stressed, his voice firm. "This is not usually how the Jedi conduct themselves Luke, and you would do well not to learn by Anakin's example."

"I meant it in the interest of protecting her, Master. Obviously I meant it in that way Luke." Anakin looked at his friend for help, but the young man had an annoyingly smug look on his face, he clearly found the situation amusing.

"We are not going through this exercise again, Anakin. You will pay attention to my lead." Luke felt bad for Obi-Wan; he was clearly feeling embarrassed and Anakin was not getting the hint to be quiet.

"Maybe just our presence alone will help clear things up." Luke interjected, trying to save his two friends from having a full blown argument in front of everyone else. Obi-Wan exhaled loudly, sending Luke a grateful look.

"Perhaps." He acknowledged, tipping his head Luke's way.

"If you'll all excuse me, I'd like to retire for the evening." Padmé gave a small bow and left the room, the other woman following closely behind her. Luke watched her as she left, wondering what her first impressions were of him.

"Captain Typho," the man introduced himself curtly, clearly unimpressed with the little display he had just witnessed, "I feel a lot better having the Jedi here. I'll have an officer on every floor and I'll be at the command centre downstairs." He nodded at each of them before leaving the room quickly. Jar Jar gave them an enthusiastic goodbye too before he exited the room after Captain Typho, leaving the three Jedi by themselves.

"I'm going to check the security on this floor," Obi-Wan rubbed a hand over his face and tiredly looked at his Padawan, "be mindful of your thoughts." He added carefully before leaving.

Luke didn't really know how to comfort his Father; he seemed to be in a melancholy mood, no doubt because of his conversation with Padmé.

"She didn't even recognise me Luke. She had always been in my mind since the day we parted...and she's forgotten about me completely." Anakin sighed, wandering over to one of the windows. He stared out dejectedly, upset. This was _not_ how he imagined his meeting with Padmé would go.

"Well I must have witnessed a completely different conversation then," Luke joked, coming to stand by his Father's side, "she recognised you idiot, and she seemed happy to see you."

"You think?" Anakin asked hopefully, becoming more chipper.

Luke took a moment to really look at his Father. With a gentle touch of the Force, he reached out to him quietly, hoping he wouldn't notice. If he had noticed what Luke was doing, he didn't react.

"You shouldn't focus on the negative so much." Luke said quietly. He sounded so serious that Anakin turned to face him fully, surprised by the weight that was behind the words.

"You're right, I shouldn't." Luke blinked and looked away, unable to maintain the intense eye contact that Anakin wanted to. Anakin felt strangely okay – all he could focus on was that moment; leaning against the window and watching the outside world, with Luke by his side. The younger of the two was talking softly about something, but Anakin had no idea what he was saying. He found himself caught in a stare, unable to tear his eyes away from his face.

 _He seems so young, but he's nearly the same age as me. Why is the Force telling me that he's special? Why do I feel the need to be so close to him?_ Anakin suddenly felt uncomfortable with this realisation. Yes, he really did want to be close to Luke. He had no explanation for it, he just knew that there was something deep inside him that wouldn't allow him to ignore the young man who had come into his life.

 _Stars, I even felt a little jealous when he showed attachment to Obi-Wan back at the Council meeting!_ Shaking his head, Anakin stepped back from the window and Luke.

"We should find Obi-Wan." He commented. Luke could sense that there was a change in his Father's mood, but he decided not to comment on it, and instead nodded in agreement and followed him out of the room.


End file.
